Her second husband, Edwin J. Lukas (1902-1973), a noted lawyer, author, criminologist and Jewish civil rights activist, was the cousin of actor Paul Lukas. Betty was his third wife.
She was considered a frontrunner for the peasant role of Maria in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) due to her Spanish-speaking skills, but her screen test indicated she was "too Americanized". The role was eventually played by Ingrid Bergman, who earned an Oscar nomination.
Year of birth was usually given as 1918 in reference books.